Cracked coolant line, dag nab it!

[bevans6]

As someone on loonie tunes would say...

So there I am filling my cooling system, one jug at a time, through a filter since I am reusing the old coolant.  Every jug I look under and check for leaks.  After about 3 gallons I see a drip at the back of the engine.  I figure the air compressor line didn't get tightened or something.  It's the copper cross-over line behind the engine that connects both sides to the big line towards the heater core up front.  At some point there was a hose rubbing against it and it's rubbed through.  Pin hole leak.  Great.  If there is a thing that is going to be hard to get off, it's that tube.  I may decide to try to cut it and slip on a hose and a couple of hose clamps.  Oh well.

Oil pressure gauge on the dash is pinned at negative as soon as I turn the power on.  Any guesses what would make it do that?  I don't have a clue.

Brian

[Brassman]

If the hole is from wear you could soft patch it.

[bevans6]

what is a soft patch?  I'm very interested...

Brian

[demodriver]

I would be tempted to sodder it or even some JB weld type stuff.  I used some of the stuff that comes in a syrenge on my ac lines on my truck. Its been holding for 4 or 5 months now.

The same thing had happened to it. They rubbed together untill it had a pin hole.

Good Luck

Eric

[Len Silva]

The oil pressure gauge is most likely a bad ground at the gauge.  If it was working OK before you started on the engine work, then possible a miswire at the engine?  Could you possibly be applying voltage at the sender lead or is it not connected at all.  Grounding the sender lead should peg the gauge.

[bevans6]

Len, do you mean grounded lead equals gauge pinned at maximum?  So open lead would equal gauge pinned at minimum?

Brian

[bevans6]

I drained all the coolant out again.  It's a tube that is almost impossible to get on or off with the transmission installed let alone with the engine installed in the bus.  I have a high power soldering iron, I may try that.  I can see the hole, so I can get to it, if I clean it really well and use an acid flux it may take.  If I tried a torch in there I would burn the whole thing  down...  It's under and behind the power steering pump, the old pressure line from the pump to the filter quick connect must have been rubbing on it.

Brian

[Len Silva]

Actually, on further review, I'm not sure. Typical oil pressure gauges like VDO are either 10 - 180 ohms (low to high) or 240 - 33.5 ohms.

Most vehicles I have worked on, grounding the sender would peg the gauge, but I don't know about MCI.

[Busted Knuckle]

http://www.marinetex.com/marinetexepoxyputty.html

I have used it in many places we used to use it on derby cars between heats to fix radiators, manifolds water pumps thermostat housings etc.

Great stuff put it on and forget about it!
  BK 

[Brassman]

The basic soft patch is a piece of gasket material and a hose clamp. The next basic is gasket material, sheet metal, then hose clamps.

An epoxy repair covered by a soft patch might work well.

[eddiepotts]

Try something like this. http://www.lowes.com/pd_301812-34146-AV301812_0__?productId=3223497&Ntt=pipe+clamp&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Dpipe%2Bclamp&facetInfo=    we use them at work all the time.

[demodriver]

http://www.marinetex.com/marinetexepoxyputty.html

I have used it in many places we used to use it on derby cars between heats to fix radiators, manifolds water pumps thermostat housings etc.

Great stuff put it on and forget about it!
  BK 

Im a big fan of using the quick set bondo on the radiators!  Glad that Im not the only one using derby remedies on here. lol

Eric

[artvonne]

  The patch with a hose clamp sounds like the second best idea after replacing it. Unlike epoxy, JB weld, and the like, the patch and clamp would likely only develop a slow leak (drip) over time, where as epoxy could simply come off and your back to square one.  Soldering may work if its a real small leak and you have good access.

  You basically have a new engine with a heck of a lot of time, money and effort put in, this is not the motor to mickey mouse. If its at all possible, repacing the line would be the ideal.

[Busted Knuckle]

Paul if he cleans it thoroughly Marine-Tex ain't coming off!
And if he wanted to be sure of that just go all the way around it as an layer to make a "sleeve" out of it.

OH yeah I didn't think of it before but a *Gates-"Power Grip" would work well here too!
  BK 

[eagle19952]

Read the fine print....heat and most epoxy don't mix.